These are the Galaxy S7 features you want to see most

A few weeks ago Phil asked what you want to see from the Galaxy S7. You let us know in the comments and in the forums, and we've got the breakdown for you. There was plenty to love about the Galaxy S6, but some things — like the battery life — left a bit to be desired.

We dug through everything you said you wanted and compiled the top five features that you're hoping to see from the Galaxy S7. You told us through your comments here on Android Central, as well as over on Youtube. Now, there were a lot of feature requests, so we had to narrow it down a bit: here are your top five:

Better battery life

The most-requested improvement for the Galaxy S7 was most definitely better battery life. You want a battery that has the juice to get you through the day, and then some. The Galaxy S6 simply doesn't have a large battery, and that means that most owners find themselves having to keep charging it back up throughout the day. Considering that for many of us our phones are an integral part of getting through each day, having to keeping a constant eye on your battery just isn't a good time for anybody involved.

With a larger battery, you're simply better prepared to get through the day whether you're close to a charger or not. Nobody wants to chained to a cord, and getting 8-10 hours of regular use out of your phone before needing to plug in has slowly started to become the norm. A battery that has plenty of capacity and charges up quickly isn't outrageous to hope for in 2016.

Expandable storage

Having access to expandable storage through your phone is the second feature that you told us was essential. It's not hard to imagine why either. Flagship phones are a pricey commitment, and going a year or two with limited storage that you can't expand on can be excruciating. So you want a microSD so that you can pump up your available space to get the most out of your phone.

This last year was the first one we saw without Samsung phones rocking removable storage, and we're actually pretty hopeful for it's return since Marshmallow supports adoptable storage. Judging by the number of people clamoring for it, adding expandable storage back in to their phones might be a good move for Samsung.

Front-facing speakers

When it comes to listening to music or watching videos on your phone, you want to be able to clearly hear what is going on. That's where front- facing speakers come in, and it's the third-most-requested feature by you, the Android Central reader. You want to be able to play your music loudly, rocking out wherever you are, without the sound being muffled in the process.

If you spend a lot of time playing music over your phone, you want the best sound you can possibly get. If the HTC One M9 is any yardstick to measure by, then front-facing speakers simply offer a superior sound experience. While this might be tricky for Samsung thanks to their insistence on a physical home button, just about everyone would love to see front-facing speakers in the Galaxy S7.

RAM management

Plenty of you asked for Samsung to start handling RAM management the standard way that Google has built into Android. It makes sense, too; who doesn't want smoother multitasking? As we see more high-quality apps and games appearing, Samsung's way of doing things stands out as less-than-great, especially compared to other phones out there.

If your hope was to see better — or different RAM management from Samsung, there isn't much to suggest that you're going to get it. The transition to Marshmallow makes anything possible, but there hasn't been an indication that Samsung sees a problem with the way they handle RAM on their phones. At this point it's unlikely that we'll see much of a deviation from the way things currently work in Touchwiz.

Waterproofing

Coming in fifth for the features you most wanted to see on the Galaxy S7 is better waterproofing. For as long as there have been smartphones in our pockets, there have been encounters with it's arch nemesis: water. We all know somebody who managed to drop their phone into water (or you are that somebody) and then desperately tried to dry it out afterwards. With increased waterproofing you wouldn't have to worry nearly as much about an accidental mishap at the beach or pool — or at home in the bathroom or kitchen

Samsung has had an iffy relationship with waterproofing, as you might remember from the Galaxy S5. The last few years though have seen improvements in the technology like internal gaskets for a better seal, along with superhydrophobic nano coatings on the ports of smartphones. So with technological advancement, it's no wonder they're giving things another shot, especially since so many of us have unfortunate accidents that involve water damage.

So there you have it. The top 5 features that you told us you were hoping to see in the Galaxy S7 when it's unveiled later this month. Other notable mentions that came close, but didn't quite hit the list were a better fingerprint sensor, lighter Touchwiz, and a lower price point. Are you excited for the Feb. 21st announcement? Let us know in the comments!

It all looks great...now for what I do NOT want to see:
The home button and capacitive buttons. I really wish they'd drop them. I've grown to prefer the on-screen button and tap to wake feature on my LG...wish Samsung would streamline that stuff off their devices.

Speakers - two edge firing speakers can be as loud as front firing speakers IF they are clear and move enough air.
If you listen to the Exynos version Galaxy Alpha 850M the single speaker is much louder and fuller than AT&T Version and similar to the mini HTC One M 8.
------with Two edge firing Stereo Speakers it could be close to One M8 but without the large Bezels.
Nice to keep the Phones pocket sized...but NOT super thin...side firing stereo speakers with a good audio chip can do good full Audio.

spec-wise all is well just include water proofing, adaptable secondary storage
and a less confusing naming strategy.
get the base standard model of the s7, the larger phablet with edge (s7 edge) and that's it.

Timely updates please. I sold my GS6 because Marshmallow has been out for a few months and Samsung only has a beta Marshmallow build out. Remember KitKat days when Samsung updated the S4 and Note 3 to it around this time and officially, well look they've gone slower at updating their phones. There are still new Samsung devices being released with Lollipop(A3 2016, A5 2016, etc) So what's wrong with Marshmallow?

I want all those "gimmicky" features back that most people didnt like to use. I happened to like them. They made Samsung unique. To some, they were bloat and an option to remove them wouldve been nice. But I personally liked them. It seems to me that Samsung is slowly getting rid of all the things that made them stand out. No waterproofing? No IR Blaster? No Expandable Storage? No Removable Battery? No Standout software features (even if they are gimmicky). I want all these things back. Instead of getting rid of them, Samsung should have improved their implementation so that more people would find a use for them.

Samsung just wants be Apple... Glass back? Aluminum encasing nearly identical to iPhone 6? Changing finger print scanner to touching instead of swiping down? Speaker at the bottom of the phone instead of the back? Possible Force Touch (useless) in the S7? Possible live photos? Ugh. What happened to the original Samsung that I knew and loved.

part of me agrees in that I wished Samsung didn't seal their battery, and they might not have taken the idea from Apple, but I can do without the plastic back. I hated it on my Nexus 4 since it doesn't provide any grip and means I have to use a case.

That said, I look forward to not just Samsung, but all OEMs using Force Touch. Google has been working on it for several years in their iOS apps and I think it has a ton of potential.

I'm beginning to wonder. Does the average person even understand or care about battery life, sd cards or updates? Most regular (non tech people) I talk to don't know a dam thing about their device except what carrier they are on. It's really bizarre.

updates and SD cards, no ... battery life people are a bit more informed. people were really disappointed with the battery life in the S6, and since then we've seen a slight increase in size. I think OEMs are slowly realizing people do care about it, and aren't interested in phones getting any thinner.

what's really needs to happen if we're gonna see a significant increase in size is one of two things ... 1) we need iPhone fans to demand longer battery life. unfortunately once they get quick charge, that might not happen anytime soon. but if Apple did increase its battery size, or get significantly better battery life through optimization which is obviously what they do well, it would force Android OEMs to do the same. 2) Chinese manufacturers, specifically Huawei and smaller companies like One+ using 4000 mAh batteries and consumers buying them because of it. If Samsung, LG, etc actually lost market share and their research indicated battery life was one of the reasons why, that would definitely get their attention.

Another possibility is the actual battery manufacturers to develop significant technological advancements. I'm actually surprised things aren't further along from where they were 5-6 years ago (I also thought we'd have REAL hoverboards by now after watching Marty McFly in Back to the Future when I was a kid)!

I'm satisfied with the battery in my 6p, but I was forced to lower my expectations. Fortunately 3rd party manufacturers have finally started shipping compatible USB-C quick charges I can use in my car, but I'd love to pick my phone up in the morning and the thought of running out of battery that day, no matter how hard I push it, never even crossing my mind. It's that feeling that I'm really looking for.

For now I just hope the S7, G5 and M10 deliver in that department. I can get by with 3000 mAh on a 5.1" display, but I wouldn't be wowed that's for sure. Is the S7 can get the same optimization as the Note team does, that'd be a good thing, but it hasn't happened in the past two years so I have no reason to believe things will be any different this year. Rumors suggest LG actually decreasing their battery size, albeit their display to. That would be excessively disappointing. If it's removable it'd still be considered, but I have to draw a line somewhere and anything less than 3000 mAh, especially in av sealed device, just isn't something I'd sign up for, especially since I keep my phones awhile.

HTC had said the M10 will resemble the A9 more than the M9, but hopefully that didn't translate to an equally small battery. I've said for over a year now that if HTC wants to differentiate themselves, they should do 3 things ... 1) continue to be a leader in audio 2) be known for battery life 3) offer the M10 in 2 sizes, both with the same specs. A 5.7" M10 with the best speakers and a 3800 mAh display is something I'd be interested in. And a compact version with the same premium audio setup and large battery (obviously would have to be smaller given the form factor) would certainty satisfy a lot of Android fans hoping for a high end flagship with a smaller display.

It’s going to come with a ultra-slim design that makes and will be dust & water proof. It will also gets the Gorilla Glass 5 protection which is almost unbreakable. It will boast a Force touch display with TouchWIZ UI which give you more customised interface over the phone.

Some people prefer it on the back while others prefer it on the front as both a scanner and a home button.

As for me, I want it integrated into the display, but honestly, even though I can use the sensor in any position, I prefer it on the front. Just feels a bit more natural to me, since every device in the house that has a fingerprint sensor (iPhone 5S, Galaxy A5 2016, iPad Pro) all have scanners on the front.

Let me just say this to all the nexus trolls that frequent Samsung's forms when your market share is more the windows phones which there not ....then nexus will become relevant.......maybe in a few years

don't let the few idiots get under your skin ... trolls comment on every phone. Nexus articles are littered with Samsung fanboys and vice versa, that won't change. just ignore em, move on and realize 95% of us aren't immature. I like great phones personally, and I'm happy with variety, I can care less which OEM makes it, so long as it has was I'm looking for I'll consider it.

I have to say, front-facing speakers would actually be last on my list of must haves. I would rather the speakers be located at the bottom so that real estate is minimized. Having gigantic bezels to accommodate speakers is the last thing a modern design needs.

I remember reading up on the S7 rumors that TW on it will be much more optimized than before.

But my biggest gripe is with the notification setting toggles on the S6 version of Marshmallow. WHY IS IT WHITE IN COLOR?!

Thank goodness Samsung actually put a pretty darn good theme engine, because I cannot live with so many white elements in the software. Just too much eye-strain. Somebody needs to tell Duarte that some of us actually want a dark Material theme.

With the S6, if you press the home button fast three times, you get the "negative" colours. I use that at night to use less battery and to stop eyestrain. I love that function! It's brilliant. Not sure if it's the software 5.1.1, function or a Samsung one...

After a decent sized battery removable storage would be my main request. Nobody rejects a phone because it has removable storage that they won't use but there are definitely people who won't buy a phone which doesn't have it. Seems a no brainer to me at least.

OK, on a serious note, I actually think and believe plastic body for smartphones is better than metal. Moto X Play and Moto X Style.... Also, LG V 10, every bit a better phone than any other metal phone (OK OK, it has metal sides, but still, most of the phone uses plastic). And my most favorite phone looks wise that I have personally used was and is Nokia Lumia 720. That flush unibody minimalistic design was a beauty to look at. Especially in Black. Also, Lumia 920+720-bezels would still be my favorite design for a flagship smartphone.

Posted via the Android Central App on my Galaxy S3 Neo Dual Sim which thankfully doesn't have S-pen and does not have a horrible metal body.

I don't have a problem with plastic. They are radio opaque, and the more rigid you make something, the more likely they are to crack (i Phones are a good example).
Metal parts can act like antennae on harmonics and they can block radio waves. Give me a fat plastic phone with an enormous battery and I'm happy, I can plonk it on the table without fear of breaking the ruddy glass back (stupidest idea ever)... And I like to feel the phone in my pocket... But, horses for courses, it would be a dull world if we all liked the same things! Have a great day all!

frankly, if you can put gorilla glass 4 on the front of a phone, then there shouldn't be an issue of putting it on the back as well if you're trying to make a truly unique design. Best designs to me EVER were glass phones (iphone 5/5s, Galaxy S6 Edge/Note 5).

For me, just put a bigger battery and expandable storage and I'll be interested.

I've already lived with the current version of TouchWiz, and I really have nothing to complain about. From a guy who has used the S4 version of TouchWiz (and hated it), the current version is much improved.

I think it comes down to hardware features - basically stylus and keyboard. You can replicate most useful software with other apps from the Play Store, but whatever you do, you can't add a nice keyboard or full-featured stylus to a phone without those.

If BlackBerry adds a nice stylus to the next Priv, that would be amazing. I don't know how it would fit, but still.

good point. I'm just wondering if BB will still be around next year to support their Android phones they release this year. It doesn't seem like John Chen is all that concerned about remaining in the cosumer smartphone business.

Sounds like everyone wants a galaxy s5. Since it had all of these features except front facing speakers which we all kmow samsung is not going to put on there phones. Before they did that they would put 2 speakers on the top and bottom of the phone and call it S Surround. But on the front? Not a chance.

The s5 in my opinion was a good phone that despite all the naysayers and the haters sold why more phones then anything that's not a iPhone. That being said the gs6 and soon to be 7 are far and. Away a much better phone

I still love my S5 and own 3 (although one has screen issues and is now a WiFi hotspot). Sadly its starting to show its age. An upgrade from TouchWiz to CM 12.1 helped greatly with this.
So yes I am closely watching what options come out. At the moment the S7 is a maybe and the S6 is no bloody way.
Realistically the only part of my phone I see is the screen. It always lives in a case so I don't see the sides and the back. A glass back to me is a liability not a plus and certainly not worth the loss of removable battery and microSD slot.
So yeah I'm in the market for another S5 . Hopefully one with better battery life, more RAM and more processing power. But the basics of what I'm after are all there in the S5. Removable storage, replaceable battery, passable camera (I don't need great) and waterproofing.
The closer the S7 comes to that list the better for me and a surprisingly large number of people I know still stubbornly holding onto their S5s or moving to things like the LG G4 or the Nexus 6p

How do you figure? The S5's camera wasn't the best when it came out, it was plastic and ugly a.f. I don't think people want an S5. If they did, they'd be all over EBAY buying up inventory. Obviously they are not.

Front facing speakers is a must. These backfiring s4 and s5 ones are garbage. The bottom ones are better but still not quite there. I spent a fair amount of time with the moto E and even though it's speaker was inferior I wish I could put it on my s4. I can only imagine what it must be like for HTC m8 and m7 owners.

We had the perfect date: a night in the master suite of a remote bed and breakfast... then we get out of the Jacuzzi and snuggle up to watch a movie on her tablet in bed, and we can't hear because the speakers are on the back.

You mean besides less Samsung bloatware? I loved my S4, but when over half the memory was consumed by silly feature software that couldn't be removed; especially when it wasn't going to be used, I moved to Moto, and then Nexus.

For you guys still complaining about bloat how bout you try a new Samsung Galaxy are note 5 . Things have changed quite a bit. Most of the bloat is gone and what you don't like you can get rid of . Now if you're idea of bloating is features well then stick to your boring featureless nexus and be happy . Me I love features. But I also don't go on nexus forums trolling ether

Which app can you get to improve your camera to that of the GS6 or Note 5? Which app can you get that will allow you to store a stylus in your phone and then use said stylus immediately upon taking it out? Which app can you get that will allow you to handwrite on pdfs, screenshots, etc. and capture that handwriting converting it to real text? Oh that's right, you actually can't get apps that can do the things that our phones do. Nice try. Wishful thinking or just plain delusion.

I didn't know my Nexus 6 had the same camera as the S6. How come S6 doesn't take pictures as well as the G4? Most people I know that have owned a Note bought it for the bigger screen and didn't use the stylus, that's alot of wasted features.

Hum ? Wasted features for a non note person. There's not a phone yet that's on par with the note 5 feature wish camera wish are battery every test on YouTube proved that with the side by side speed test. And the camera has been rated not by the nexus folks on AC but all the major photography magazine as the best cell phone camera . Now you can pretend that your phone is the same level but it's not do yourself a favor and check-out some side by side videos

I had a Note 2. Other than the bigger screen and a few features that the S pen provided, I could live with out them. I've had hands on time with the Note 5, but I still can live without those features it provides.

I rarely used the Pen on the Note 4 I had and haven't missed it all since got my 6P... And the camera on the 6p takes great pictures, plenty good enough for the few pictures I take, I'm sure it's not as good as the Note 5 but definitely better than my Note 4.

Then there's the apps... I absolutely CAN download any app I need and more importantly I have the CHOICE! There's no damn reason why other manufacturers can't give you the choice whether you want to remove an app... I understand not being able to uninstall those apps that are an integral part of the UI but the other **** like Amazon being included should be able to be uninstalled if you don't want it. Then there's the carrier bloat on top of the manufacturer bloat... Why the **** do I need VZW Navigator when I have Google Maps which is free to use.

And let's not forget about the show and ****** update process of Samsung and the carriers... **** them both.

After owning this 6p I will never go back to a carrier branded phone again as long as Nexus continues coming out with high-end phones with large batteries like the 6p.

No, you just troll the comments on every Samsung-related article. We get it, dude. You love Samsung. Samsung can do no wrong. You want to have Samsung's baby. It hurts you deep inside when people speak ill of your beloved... But when the only bad things you can find in a Samsung device are retrospective (bloat on the S4, which I'm sure you denied back then) in order to demonstrate how perfect Samsung is in the here and now, you lose any credibility.

I'm right there with you. I couldn't stand the s6 edge from the battery to no removable storage to the bullshit they throw on the phone and call it useful. Lg is where I am now safely enjoying an android phone again.

It's crazy that the people above you don't have those issues. You must be the only one out of the millions of people that have owned a Samsung phone. (sarcasm, only because some people don't understand it)

Good for you! Please don't come back to Samsung. We really don't need you. Everyone else will continue to enjoy our excellent cameras and beautifully designed phones while you continue to dick around with Moto Maker and mediocre camera. Good luck with your Lenovo product.

"We don't need you " what are you their spokesman or are you a cult? I have had Samsung phones before, they worked for me. I just don't like to have unnecessary "features" on my phone. I don't need Milk(when it was forced on my phone) or their BS health app, I have other apps that I chose to use and worked better. I also like getting timely updates.

Yes, I am the counter cult to the crazy "I'm leaving Samsung bs because I didn't get a removable battery" cult. Those fools are trying their hardest to get everyone else to join their cult. Let's face it, some of us prefer a better looking phone versus a plastic monstrosity requiring the battery swap lifestyle.

so what are you doing commenting here if you don't use a Samsung and aren't interested in getting a GS7? Did you leave Moto because it sucked? Which Nexus do you have, the 6 or the 6P? Has the color started wearing off the 6P yet or is the camera visor cracking?c

I guess you didn't get it when I said a Nexus 6. Never said i didn't like Samsung. You need Hooked on Phonics, it may help you understand what you are reading. I didn't realize this was an exclusive club and I wasn't allowed to comment here. I've seen names within these comments that have commented within Nexus articles........

I'll have to bag to differ most nexus forums hardly ever have note 5 are galaxy folks trolling over on the dark and I come on AC plenty during the day. Usually I scroll right over the nexus forums I treat them just like iPhone forums . I have to reason to go there is don't have a nexus and to go on there with know interest in the nexus phone itself is just trolling

wezi427: Answers with comments about every other phone except indicating what he'd like to see in the GS7.

My point is, why bother commenting here if you're not even going to apply your comments to the subject of the article. Discussions about the Nexus 6, Note 4, Moto, 6P, G4, etc. etc. are meaningless and unnecessary for this comment section. Unless of course you're just here to pan the GS7 because you have some serious brand issues.

I haven't heard of the color wearing of and other than the 3 people on Reddit that came up with some BS story about their visor mysteriously cracking since they were to cheap to buy Nexus Protect, I haven't heard any complaints about that either.

Looking forward to the S7 and Samsung's commitment to improve TW. I'd have replaced waterproofing with USB-C but that's a solid list. Hoping to replace my S4 with the S7, G5 or M10.